Soil pulverizer-screener

ABSTRACT

A mobile frame providing support for a hopper emptied by a conveyor system and a pulverizing mechanism between said hopper and a screener. A power system also mounted on said frame activates said conveyor system, pulverizer and screener to transform material fed into the hopper into generally finely divided particles which fall through the openings in the screener to separate such particles from that part of the material which has not been fully pulverized.

United States Patent 1 Sievert 1 Apr. 9, 1974 1 SOIL PULVERIZER-SCREENER [76] Inventor: Dellwyn D. Sievert, 5324 Drexel Ave., Franklin, Wis. 53132 [22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 280,941

[52] US. Cl. 241/101.7 [51] Int. Cl. B02c 21/02 [58] Field of Search..... 241/101 M, 101.7; 209/420, 1 209/421 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,925,079 2/1960 Saxe 241/101 M 3,704,834 12/1972 Nilsson 241/101 M 706,197 8/1902 Owen 241/l01.7 616,254 12/1898 Phi1ips 241/10l.7 1,129,994

Lawrence 209/421 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 631,351 12/1927 France ..241/l01M 1,123,914 6/1956 France 209/421 Primary Examiner-Granvil1e Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert J. Steininger [5 7] ABSTRACT A mobile frame providing support for a hopper emptied by a conveyor system and a pulverizing mechanism between said hopper and a screener. A power system also mounted on said frame activates said con-, veyor system, pulverizer and screener to transform material fed into the hopper into generally finely divided particles which fall through the openings in the screener to separate such particles from that part of the material which has not been fully pulverized.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SOIL PULVERIZER-SCREENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention I This invention pertains to the art of mechanical devices for reducing course materials to substantially finely divided particles and for separation of said finely divided particles from the remaining material which has not been so reduced.

2 Description of the Prior Art Devices for pulverizing rock, soil and related materials into smaller sized particles have been in existence for a considerable period. Likewise, such devices have long been accompanied by a means for separating the pulverized material into lots each of which is made up of particles of substantially uniform size. In addition, these devices are frequently equipped with special characteristics to provide a degree of mobility. In appli cations where such devices are used to process relatively low density materials at widely scattered locations refinement of these special characteristics is required to allow travel over highways with their numerous overhead obstructions and to prevent scattering of the pulverized material due to the wind. Present devices provide very ineffective means for meeting these needs and such defficiency has given rise to this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Development in design of pulverizing devices has been to a great extent the result of the special properties and occurrence of the material to be pulverized. When processing material which occurs. in substantial quantities at a single location and which need not be reduced to a collection of uniformly fine particles, considerations of mobility and air turbulence are of little significance. However, where a relatively small quantity of material occurs at any one location and where the resultant product must consist of finely divided particles of a relatively low density material as in the top soil industry, special provisions for increased mobility v and wind protection are essential.

Using conventional principles for elevating, pulverizing and screening materials this invention makes special provision for mobility and protection of the pulverized product from the effects of air turbulence by combining improved front wheel suspension and lowerable conveyor means for avoiding overhead obstructions with special shielding devices surrounding those components from which pulverized material emerges.

In the drawings attached and in the description which follows, the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention is set forth. The manner and process of making and using the invention are described below in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains or to which it is most clearly connected, to make and use the invention. It should be emphasized, however, that the subject matter regarded as the invention is not limited to the herein described embodiment of it, but rather such invention includes everything included within the claims set forth at the conclusion of this specification.

FIG. 1 of such drawings is a side view of the invention showing the screener mechanism in raised position in full lines and in lowered position in broken lines.

FIG. 2 of such drawings is a perspective view of the invention showing the front wheel suspension.

FIG. 3 of such drawings is a perspective view of the side of the screener mechanism and the end of the conveyor system.

FIG. 4 of such drawings is a partial cross sectional view of the pulverizer mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows frame 1 supported by front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 on which are mounted spaced pairs of upright members 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Hopper 10 is supported by upright members 4 and 5. Upright members 6 and 7 provide support for pulverizer housing 11 and for the pulverizer mechanism 12.

A conveyor system consisting generally of a forward section 13 and a rear section 14 is supported by frame 1. Conveyor section 13 consists of conveyor frame 15 supported by upright members 4 and 5 and by pulverizer housing 11. Associated with said conveyor frame 15 is a conventional conveyor mechanism (details not shown) for transferring material from hopper 10 to pulverizer 12. Conveyor section 14 consists of conveyor frame 16 pivotally supported by upright members 6 and 9 and secured in its raised position by brace member 17. Upright member 9 is pivoted to frame 1 and is fixed to the end of conveyor frame 16 by cable 41. Flexible member 18 limits the extent to which said member 9 can pivot rearwardly of the invention when brace member 17 is disconnected from upright member ,8. Pin 19 secures conveyor frame 16 to upright member 9 when brace member 17 is in place as shown in FIG. 1.

Mounted on the end of conveyor frame 16 is screener 20 (See FIG. 3) consisting of a cylindrical screen 21 for rotation about axle 22 and a screener housing having I a coarse material rejection spout 37, a middle panel 40, an upper flexible panel 23 and a lower flexible panel 24. Upper flexible panel 23 serves as a cover for the top of screener 20 and is removably attached to middle panel 40 by cable 25 drawn through hooks 26 on said middle panel 40. Lower flexible panel 24 is fixed to middle panel 40 along opening 27 and cable 28 passes through pulleys 29 (detail not shown) on middle panel 40 and is fixed to the bottom of lower flexible panel 24 at points 30.

Screener 20 is held in position at the end of conveyor frame 16 by uprights 31 and 32 which are held against rearward movement by tension lines 33 and are fixed to the free end of screener 20 by tension lines 34.

Conveyor section 14 including conveyor frame 16 provides conventional means for transferring material from pulverizer 12 to screener 20. Conveyor sections 13 and 14, pulverizer l2 and screener 20 are each powered by power means 35 and fuel supply 36.

In the operation of the invention, material to be reduced to fine particles is placed in hopper 10 from which it enters upon conveyor section 13 and is moved to pulverizer 12. After proceeding through pulverizer 12 such material falls upon conveyor section 14 and is.

moved to screener 20. Rotation of the cylindrical screen 21 within screener 20 causes finely divided particles of pulverized material to fall through lower flexible panel 24. Material which enters cylindrical screen 21 and which has not been reduced to sufficiently fine particles to penetrate said cylindrical screen moves longitudinally of the cylindrical screen and passes through course material rejection spout 37. Upper flexible panel 23, middle panel40 and lower flexible panel 24 serve to prevent loss of pulverized material due to air turbulence at the pulverizing site. Lower flexible panel 24 is equipped with a projection terminating with weight 38 defining the panel opening 39. As cable 28 is drawn through pulleys 29, lower flexible panel 24 retracts upwardly and allows containers to be inserted beneath screener 20 for filling with pulverized material.

During the pulverizing and screening process, conveyor frame 16 is held in its upper position by brace member 17 (shown in full lines in FIG. 1) and pin 19. However, when the invention is to be moved to a new site, brace member 17 and pin 19 are removed allowing upright member 9 to pivot rearwardly of the invention and such rearward motion lowers screener 20 for clearance of overhead obstructions during highway travel. Mobility of the invention is enhanced by front wheel suspension comprising fifth wheel 42.

Upon arrival at the new site the invention can easily be readied for pulverizing and screening material by raising conveyor frame 16 and inserting brace member 17 and pin 19.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that this combination of mobile frame, hopper, conveyor system, pulverizing mechanism and screener is adaptable for manufacture in a variety of forms using varying frames, hoppers, conveyors, pulverizers and screeners without departing from the basic elements of the invention as hereinbefore described and hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent of the United States is:

1. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material, the combination of:

a mobile frame,

a hopper supported by said frame,

a pulverizing mechanism supported by said frame associated with said hopper,

a screener mechanism pivotally connected at one end to said frame and having a free end projecting beyond said frame,

means for suspending said free end of said screener mechanism from said frame,

a conveyor system between said hopper, said pulverizing mechanism and said screener mechanism, and

means for raising and lowering said screener mechanism.

2. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 1 in which said screener mechanism is rotatable about an axis through said pivotal connection.

3. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 2, panel means attached to said screener mechanism to shield said screener mechanism and a variable area beneath said screener mechanism from moving air.

4. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 3 in which that portion of said panel means extending beneath said screener mechanism is extensible and retractable.

5. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 4 in which the portion of said panel extending beneath said screener mechanism comprises a flexible panel terminating in a weight to which cables are attached which pass over pulleys to provide means for raising and lowering said flexible panel. 

1. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material, the combination of: a mobile frame, a hopper supported by said frame, a pulverizing mechanism supported by said frame associated with said hopper, a screener mechanism pivotally connected at one end to said frame and having a free end projecting beyond said frame, means for suspending said free end of said screener mechanism from said frame, a conveyor system between said hopper, said pulverizing mechanism and said screener mechanism, and means for raising and lowering said screener mechanism.
 2. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 1 in which said screener mechanism is rotatable about an axis through said pivotal connection.
 3. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 2, panel means attached to said screener mechanism to shield said screener mechanism and a variable area beneath said screener mechanism from moving air.
 4. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 3 in which that portion of said panel means extending beneath said screener mechanism is extensible and retractable.
 5. In a mobile device for pulverizing and screening material as described in claim 4 in which the portion of said panel extending beneath said screener mechanism comprises a flexible panel terminating in a weight to which cables are attached which pass over pulleys to provide means for raising and lowering said flexible panel. 